Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 255 It’s time
Wealthy families actually have night nannies and security guards on duty.

However, Zhu Yunfeng was afraid that the secret would be exposed, so he did not allow them to stay overnight and sent them home.

They're all locals anyway.

Many of the security guards, especially the older women, are from the Zhujiaping clan. They are related to the family, know each other's parents, and live nearby, so there's no need to worry about safety.

In contrast, it was even more troublesome that Zhu Jiaping's relatives came back to ask for more money after his family became successful again.

Fortunately, Zhu Yunfeng's parents made a comeback thanks to his connections, and now their assets are worth nearly a billion yuan. So they can handle all these troublesome matters.

When it comes to arranging work, they do their jobs; when it comes to helping out, they do their part. As for other things like borrowing money, asking for favors, pulling strings, and doing favors, my parents handle them all.

Zhu Yunfeng gives money to villagers over sixty years old every year, and also donates some money to the town and county. In addition, he is elusive and often disappears, so most problems can be solved.

They were supposed to go to work the next morning. Although these people were not professional nannies or security guards, the housekeepers they hired were professional housekeepers who had been trained and had no problem managing the manor on a daily basis.

After eating the breakfast prepared by the aunt, Ji He and Zou Ting took a helicopter from Zhujiaping to Changsha, while he took a gift box and went to Hongwu Dynasty with Zhu Di.

This was the day after they returned from the Chongzhen era.

It was already past 1 p.m. when I came out of the underground palace in the square outside the Qianqing Palace and, unusually, I saw the sun shining today.

It was already the end of the year, and except for the Qianqing Palace Square, the snow in the palace had been almost completely cleared. Even the snow on the glazed tiles on the top of the palace and the icicles hanging under the eaves had been cleaned up.

Although the warm sunshine offered no comfort in the winter, it shone brightly on the golden tiles, like a beautiful rainbow.

When Mao Xiang, who was standing guard at the gate, saw the two of them coming, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yan and Your Highness Prince Wu."

"Where are His Majesty and the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Yunfeng asked.

"His Majesty held a court session this morning and has just returned from the Fengtian Hall with the Crown Prince. They will be having lunch soon."

Mao Xiang replied.

People in ancient times ate early. Before the Tang Dynasty, food was scarce, and people often only ate two meals a day, from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m.

Therefore, these two time periods are also known as breakfast time and afternoon time.

After the Tang and Song dynasties, especially after the Song dynasty's agricultural revolution in Champa rice, grain production gradually increased, and people began to get used to three meals a day.

We usually eat breakfast around 5 or 6 a.m., lunch around 11 a.m., and dinner around 4 p.m.

The reason for such early and late times was mainly because there was no electricity in ancient times. Oil lamps and candles were very precious, and ordinary people could not afford them or cherished them very much, thus maintaining the tradition of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

They would often get up to work at four or five in the morning when it was just getting light, and return home at six or seven in the evening when it was just getting dark. They would go to bed around eight o'clock, day after day, year after year.

However, Lao Zhu's diet was very irregular.

Just like homeroom teachers like to extend class time after school, the time for Emperor Zhu to attend court was never as long as in ancient times.

If there's not much to do today, leave court early and go back to your office. If there's a lot to do, the court session can last all day, and nobody will be able to eat.

Being an official during the Hongwu era was tough.

Often, you'll be starving by the time you wake up, and there's even the risk of losing your head. If you're not careful, you might end up with your whole family in trouble.

Old Zhu ate dinner quite late today; it was almost 2 PM before he started eating.

Zhu Di wanted to go back to his Prince Yan's residence to see his wife and children, so he didn't go in. He said goodbye to Zhu Yunfeng at the gate and left in the direction of Yuehua Gate.

Zhu Yunfeng strolled all the way to the study.

The imperial kitchen was clearly keeping the food warm, and at that moment, Old Zhu and his family of three were sitting at the imperial table eating.

"Grandma is here too."

Upon entering and seeing Empress Ma, Zhu Yunfeng's lips curled into a honey-like smile as he exclaimed, "Grandma, you look even younger and more beautiful!"

Empress Ma has been using high-end skincare products given to her by Zhu Yunfeng for the past few years.

Although she was beautiful when she was young, her age is a factor, and she had undergone major surgery before, so she looks a bit haggard and is aging quickly. Even with these skincare products, she certainly can't be considered beautiful without cosmetic procedures.

However, women are easily swayed by this. Upon hearing Zhu Yunfeng's words, Empress Ma smiled and said, "Yunfeng is such a smooth talker. He's too old-fashioned and doesn't look good."

"No way, in my heart, Grandma has always been the most beautiful."

Zhu Yunfeng opened the gift box in his hand, took out an old mine imperial jade bracelet, and put it on Empress Ma's hand, saying, "Grandma, this is a gift I prepared for you before. I was going to send it to you later, but it just so happens that you are here."

"You've put your heart into this, my dear grandson."

Empress Ma happily put the bracelet on her wrist and examined it, her face beaming with joy.

Although Zhu Yunfeng spent over 40 million to buy this imperial jade bracelet, she is the empress, and there is no precious thing she can't have.
But she still liked it very much.

It's not that I like its preciousness, but rather I admire Zhu Yunfeng's filial piety.

Every time Zhu Yunfeng came over, he would bring gifts. All kinds of expensive jewelry, clothes, cosmetics and skin care products were piled up like mountains. Which of the concubines in the harem would not be envious?

Although she was the unshakeable empress, she had so many things that she couldn't use them all, and most of them were given to her younger sisters in the harem.

But this vanity still makes people feel very comfortable.

After all, Old Zhu didn't have anything of value to her.

As she spoke, she glared at Old Zhu next to her.

Old Zhu was a little confused, but he picked up his chopsticks and said, "You've come at the perfect time, let's eat together."

"I just ate."

Zhu Yunfeng plopped down on the sofa next to him.

Old Zhu then said, "That's perfect, let's talk about your marriage with Ji He."

"By the way, that's why I came here. I almost got fooled by you, little guy."

Remembering the important matter, Empress Ma stopped looking at the bracelet, her expression turned serious, and she looked at Zhu Yunfeng solemnly, saying, "You're not getting any younger. When Chongba was your age, Biao'er was already six. Your grandmother knows you're playful and don't want to get married so early, but a man in his thirties should settle down, settle down, and establish a family. Your grandmother has decided on this for you. After the New Year, we'll choose a princess for you and find you a good family. You must get married after the New Year this year."

"Grandma."

Zhu Yunfeng immediately wore a bitter expression.

Perhaps due to her wealthy family background, despite experiencing difficulties and setbacks, she has always maintained a cheerful and optimistic personality.

Simply put, he's like a child, playful and doesn't want a wife and children to avoid having any worries.

He takes great responsibility even when raising cats and dogs. How could he feel at ease playing outside if he had a wife and children?
But it's clear he's no longer in his twenties, and things really can't go on like this.

My parents back home are urging me to get back to work.

In ancient times, the ancestors on this side were also urging them.

What should we do then?

He could only change the subject by saying, "Well, we believe in free love. Besides, if my wife isn't my type, I wouldn't feel comfortable looking at her every day."

“If you don’t like her, then find another one. In this Ming Dynasty, my grandson, Ma Xiuying, has the right to choose his wife. Even if it’s not during the Hongwu era, then we can go to the later dynasties and choose wherever he wants. This matter is not open to discussion.”

Empress Ma spoke with great confidence, giving Zhu Yunfeng absolutely no room to maneuver.

If it were Zhu Yuanzhang (the Emperor Zhu), Zhu Yunfeng would definitely not give him any face at all; he would be willing to fight Zhu Yuanzhang. But Empress Ma really had no choice.

Zhu Yunfeng had no choice but to say, "Alright, then I'll have to be there to watch when the selection is being made."

"Row."

Empress Ma nodded and stopped eating, saying, "This matter has been settled. You can discuss your business, so I won't disturb you any longer as you return to the inner palace."

"Ah."

Old Zhu had almost finished eating, so he stood up and said, "I'll go with you. We can take a walk to digest our food."

The couple left one after the other.

Zhu Biao, still holding his bowl and chopsticks, couldn't help but laugh when he saw Zhu Yunfeng's bitter face and the trembling of his mustache.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Yunfeng immediately realized that something was wrong and said, "Grandpa, it must be a trap set by you and the Ancestor!"

"Don't blame me. You know how much your mother spoils you. But your father also told your mother that it's not right for a grown person like you to be laughing and joking around all day. You really need to settle down and become more stable."

Zhu Biao smiled.

really.

It's Old Zhu!

Zhu Yunfeng was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth.

Actually, it's been Lao Zhu who's been urging him to get married all these years.

Because Empress Ma doted on him, and he often sent her gifts and said things to make her happy, Empress Ma naturally felt embarrassed to pressure him.

However, Old Zhu's traditional feudal patriarchal mindset was at play, and he always felt that offspring should get married early, and that having many children meant many blessings.

Zhu Biao was born in 1355. In 1371, at the age of 16, he married Chang, who was 15 years old.

Moreover, this was not an isolated case. Zhu Yuanzhang's sons were basically betrothed at the age of 16. In fact, in order to win over Wang Baobao, he arranged for the 14-year-old Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, to marry Wang Baobao's sister, Guanyin Nu.

So when Zhu Yunfeng, who was 32 years old and still unmarried, was seen as unsatisfactory by his father, Old Zhu, who had been urging him to get married for many years and had even tried to persuade Empress Ma to marry him.

In the past, Zhu Yunfeng could still please Empress Ma and prevent her from pushing him to such an extreme.

But now, seeing that Zhu Yunfeng is getting older and older, and that he would become an old bachelor if things continued like this, they finally decided not to sit idly by and personally arranged a marriage for him.

"It's uncomfortable."

Zhu Yunfeng lay on the sofa. Although having a wife wasn't so bad, he still wanted to go out and have some fun.

In the future, when I have a wife and children at home, I will miss them when I am in another world.

Wouldn't the sense of responsibility in one's heart be incredibly heavy?
soon.

After Zhu Biao finished his meal, he asked the eunuchs to clear away the dishes.

Zhu Yuanzhang also sent Empress Ma back.

As soon as he entered the room, he said to Zhu Yunfeng, "Yunfeng, the most urgent thing this year is for you to get married as soon as possible. The New Year is coming soon, and I'm very busy. I have to go to another dynasty to attend the New Year's court assembly. This is something your great-grandmother instructed you to do. She will personally choose a princess for you. If you dare to disobey, see how I deal with you."

"Listen to me, listen to me, let's get married."

Zhu Yunfeng spoke lazily and deliberately.

"Perfect timing, I came over to offer some advice."

Old Zhu plopped back down behind his desk, picked up a mountain of official documents from the shelf next to him, and said, "These are the data on various revenues and expenditures this year, as well as industrial output from different regions. Take a look."

Zhu Yunfeng picked it up and flipped through it casually. After all, he was the chairman of a huge group, so he was no longer as clueless as before.

The management of a company is definitely different from the management of a country.

However, they are similar in terms of production, because the state also needs production and a large number of state-owned enterprises to maintain social order.

The Ming Dynasty already has many state-owned enterprises.

This included steel mills, shipyards, steam engine plants, grain and oil companies, and tea and salt administration offices in various places. They even built livestock administration offices in the country and in the grassland areas they occupied for raising livestock.

Among them, the Grain and Oil Company and the Tea and Salt Supervision Bureau played a decisive role in stabilizing prices.

This agricultural revolution in the Ming Dynasty was far more dramatic than that in the Northern Song Dynasty. Grain prices plummeted, leading to a large number of people abandoning agriculture to work in other industries, and the urban population surged.

In order to maintain prices, grain and oil companies must purchase large quantities of grain for brewing and producing feed for livestock.

With the addition of the excellent technology and machinery brought by the livestock company previously established by Zhu Yunfeng, the breeding industry in the Ming Dynasty has flourished, and the price of meat in the private sector has dropped significantly. In fact, people's lives have reached a point where they no longer have to worry about food and drink.

However, job opportunities were still too few, and the court had to spend a lot of money to maintain education and the training of industrial workers. Although a large number of textile mills, steel mills and other processing plants were opened, the progress was still not keeping up.

One common problem with government-run enterprises is low administrative efficiency and a lack of flexibility. This results in slow progress in training industrial workers, failing to keep pace with the changing times.

Secondly, there's the same old problem: the literacy rate is just too low. Without literacy, they can't learn anything new. Those machines are there, and they're not even intimidated by the sight of them; they're beyond their comprehension, let alone how to operate them.

So the overall progress is still not very good.

After all, our country has been continuously carrying out literacy campaigns since the founding of the People's Republic of China. We have been conducting vigorous literacy campaigns for decades, and it wasn't until the 80s and 90s, and even after 2000, that education was fully implemented throughout the country.

The Ming Dynasty has only existed for a few years, and it's obviously impossible to achieve instant success.

Looking at these data, Zhu Yunfeng naturally noticed the problem and said, "Education and worker training have not kept up."

"Ah."

Old Zhu nodded and said, "Yes, I remember you faced the same problem back then, didn't you?"

"We definitely faced this problem at the beginning. When the country was first founded, the literacy rate was very low, and the vast majority of farmers had never experienced industry. They all came up step by step."

Zhu Yunfeng said, "We spent decades eradicating illiteracy and training a large number of workers. If it weren't for that period of accumulation, we wouldn't have been able to achieve the economic take-off after the millennium. The Ming Dynasty was actually lucky because we faced many difficulties at the time. The international community suppressed us, making it very difficult to engage in global trade. Things only started to improve after we finally joined the WTO. The Ming Dynasty, on the other hand, didn't have these concerns at all. The whole world was the Ming Dynasty's backyard. But those decades of accumulation were not easy to achieve."

"Alas, I'm getting old, I'm afraid I won't live to see that day."

A bitter expression appeared on Old Zhu's face.

He dreamed of seeing the Ming Dynasty standing at the pinnacle of the world.

It can be said that this has been achieved, because the Ming Dynasty is now the strongest country in the world.

But this power is known only to neighboring countries; the rest of the world is still completely unaware of it.

Even now, Europe still believes in the geocentric model, that the sun revolves around the earth, and that Europe is the center of the world.

Although they learned of the powerful and mysterious existence in the East through Marco Polo, their knowledge of it was extremely limited.

Zhu Yuanzhang longed for the Ming Dynasty's fleet to appear in every corner of the world, and for every place in the world to be defined by the Ming Dynasty.

All countries knew of the existence of the Ming Dynasty and sent envoys to pay tribute to it, making the Ming Dynasty the king of the world.

But clearly, time is not on his side.

However, Zhu Yunfeng laughed and said, "Ancestor, didn't you say you were going to confront the modern world in your later years? How about it? Isn't it time?"

Old Zhu paused for a moment, then fell into deep thought. After a while, he said, "Yes, it's time."

(End of this chapter)